


1-5 Frybo

by iippo



Series: Steven Universe Renaissance [5]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25104193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iippo/pseuds/iippo
Summary: Steven helps a Boardie kid with his grueling job, but finds out that you shouldn't send a Frybo to do a Fryman's job.
Series: Steven Universe Renaissance [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796686
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1-5 Frybo

**Author's Note:**

> An alternative universe. See series page for more details.

It was a lovely day in Beach City and Steven Universe was stuck spending it at home, doing laundry. He owned a million pink t-shirts with a yellow star on the front and a million pairs of blue jeans that never got laundered except once in a blue moon. And today was the unfortunate day when he had woken up to no clean clothes left in the house. For reasons unknown to everybody, his washing machine was positioned on the open palm of the outstretched hand of the gigantic temple statue just above the beach house, and could only be accessed by warping. And since Steven hadn’t yet mastered the technique of warping, Amethyst had to stay home all day and help him get to and from the washing machine. Load after load got washed, hung to dry, brought back inside, folded and put away into wardrobes and drawers.

Amethyst observed the entire process without lifting a finger to help beyond the warp activation. She was so glad her clothes were just a manifestation of her physical form and therefore needed no washing. But in her boredom, she couldn’t help but think thoughts: Steven needed her help in doing this simple human thing even though he was only half human. How many basic things did full humans struggle to do? Were there people all over Beach City right now needing help with simple tasks? Should the Crystal Gems do more for humanity than just protect them from monsters? Humans had been really important to Rose Quartz (Steven’s late mom and Amethyst’s first and only gem-friend) and Amethyst felt like she should do something more to keep Rose’s legacy alive.

The afternoon was well on its way when Steven got his monster of a task all done and was ready to go out. Amethyst had already headed off earlier, once the last load had been warped in and her gem powers were no longer needed. Unfortunately, the weather had changed over the several hours it took Steven to finish laundry and the sky was no longer blue and beautiful. It had rained a little, but the sky was still heavy with clouds, so as he headed out, Steven wore a jacket and rainboots just in case.

Steven was starving and he beelined to the boardwalk to find food. He went straight for Beach Citywalk Fries, ordered up, and started to gobble up the fries as soon as he got them in his hands.

But his happiness was not to last, as he was suddenly attacked by a fearsome monster! It bumped into Steven, knocking him down, sending Steven’s fries flying everywhere. The monster was screaming “aah, please help me! Aaah! No! Get them away! Please! Aaah!” It seemed like a barrel-shaped man with fries for hair, a jolly face with blue eyes, and wearing a red apron.

Steven cowered on the ground as the monster stomped around, followed around by a flock of seagulls. The fry-man took off its head, revealing Steven’s friend, Peedee Fryman inside. Peedee waved the horrible costume head with its yellow tendril-like fry-hair at the seagulls, chasing them away. “I’m! not! fries!” Peedee yelled in frustration at the gulls as he attempted to defend himself.

Steven sighed in relief as he recognised his friend while Peedee caught his breath. Just then Peedee’s father, Mr. Fryman, came out of the Beach Citywalk Fries, alerted by all the noise. All he could see was a valued customer laying prone on the wet boardwalk and Peedee half out of his costume.

“Gah, where’s your face, Frybo?” Mr. Fryman said in a disappointed tone – although he was the kind of man whose tones often came out sterner than he intended. Peedee pouted. “Being a part of the Fryman family means you gotta sell fries,” he said, but then realising that it sounded kind of strange, he continued “...and be my son, which you are.” Peedee simply sighed at his father’s callousness. Mr. Fryman misunderstood and tried to pep his son. “So, you’re already half way there! Keep at it, Frybo!” He said with a grin and slammed the door to the fryshop behind him.

“I’m Pee-!” Peedee clenched his fist as he began a sentence but Mr. Fryman didn’t hear. “-dee...” He finished and slumped.

“Hi Peedee!” Steven called to him, still sitting on the ground.

Peedee didn’t turn to look at Steven. “When I told my dad I wanted to be part of the Fryman family business, I didn’t think it meant being stuck in a sweaty old costume,” he monologued while putting the costume head back on, and turned dramatically towards Steven. “Things used to be different, Steven, nothing to worry about back then, except making myself dizzy on the old seahorse ride at Funland.” He reached out a hand to Steven and pulled him up on his feet.

“Oh, Frybo, you’re hilarious,” Steven replied with a smile.

Peedee sighed. He felt like nobody understood what he wanted. “I wish there was a way for this costume to do its job without me in it,” he mused bitterly.

Steven finally realised Peedee was serious. He wanted to help his friend, and he got an idea. “Maybe it can, Peedee... Maybe it can...!” He said cheerfully.

So they put Steven’s brilliant plan to action: Steven would wear the Frybo costume so that Peedee wouldn’t have to! When the switcheroo was complete, Steven was excited. So he decided to sing out his excited and he began with a deep “oooooooh” inhalation–

Which was rudely interrupted by a flock of seagulls descending on the Frybo costume, hungry for some greasy, greasy fries. Steven screamed and ran away in a desperate attempt to save himself. He flung himself around as if trying to put out a fire.

By the time Steven managed to get out of the costume, Frybo was a goner. The mascot was tattered and dirty and it looked very unappetising laying there on the wet boardwalk all limp and sad.

Unfortunately this was the moment when Mr. Fryman stepped out of the shop.

“Eh? What’s this? Frybo?” He spotted Peedee and Steven standing by. “Peedee! That mascot was expensive! You’ve wrecked it!” Mr. Fryman was very disappointed, but again it came out as anger.

“No Mr. Fryman, it was my fault, I was-“ Steven started, but Mr. Fryman stopped him.

“Steven please, I am talking to my son. Peedee, you said you wanted to take some responsibility and participate in the family business, but I see now it was too much too soon. Just, go play, you kids,” he finished and dragged the limp Frybo to behind the fryshop and went back inside.

Steven was exuberant: it worked! Peedee didn’t have to wear the mascot costume anymore! He cheered and dragged Peedee with him to Funland. Neither of the noticed the strange ominous figure that had been listening to the entire conversation.

In Funland Steven led them right to the Seahorse Ride. They fed the machines their coins and hopped on, Peedee on the Seahorse and Steven on the Jelly Jiggler. Peedee was caught in the moment of freedom and amusement park rides, but after a moment of slow rhythmic swaying the magic wore off and he remembered what had happened. His dad was really disappointed and angry with him. Every lurch of the ride made him more and more disappointed in himself.

“This seahorse used to make me so happy. Now it’s just giving me whiplash,” he mused as the ride came to a stop. “I feel like there’s just no point to it, you know what I mean?” He glanced at Steven to see if he got his drift.

Steven’s Jellyfish hadn’t stopped yet. “I just feel tingly!” He exclaimed, again failing to read the room.

Peedee sighed. He felt like he had outgrown his friend. “You’ll understand when you have a job,” he said and leaned back on the seahorse.

“I do have a job, I protect humanity from magic and monsters and stuff!” Steven protested as his ride came to a stop.

“I mean a real job, that you get paid for,” Peedee corrected.

“I'm paid in the smiles across the town’s faces,” Steven swept his arm through the air to illustrate the way the smiles spread across the town.

“I don’t see anyone smiling,” Peedee scoffed. “You pick up a job hoping to do something important, or to make a difference, or to... impress your dad...” Peedee looked away, but Steven noticed. “But it turns out it isn’t what you wanted and your work is a waste, and what does it get you?”

“Smiles on faces?” Steven tried one more time.

“No!” Peedee’s cynical grown up mood was in full swing. “You get cash. Cash that can’t buy back what the job takes... not if you rode every seahorse in the world.”

“Woah...” Steven knew that Peedee was feeling something very important, but he couldn’t quite grasp what it was. But he tried to sympathise with his friend anyway: “Wanna try the jellyfish?” He asked.

But right then a scream tore through the boardwalk.

“That came from the fry shop!” Peedee said to Steven, and they both hopped off the rides and ran towards the commotion.

As they rounded the corner and got a clear view of the boardwalk, they saw an astonishing sight. The rays of sun peeking from behind the rainy clouds backlit a familiar figure with hair like fries, facing off a flying monster, swooping at the hero’s head.

“Frybo?!” Steven and Peedee exclaimed in confusion and exchanged looks. They ran towards the scene of the battle. When they got close enough, Steven realised that the affable fry-mascot was not donning his usual red apron, and that instead the entire character was cast all over in a purple hue.

“Amethyst!” Steven called out as recognition dawned on him, and the Frybo-impersonator turned around.

“Oh hey, Steven!” the Frybo-shaped-Amethyst replied and glanced at her fellow-Crystal Gem, but her distraction was a mistake as the monster attacking her managed to swoop and box her to the back of the head with its wings, interrupting the conversation.

The gem monster, which looked like a pale, gigantic moth, swirled above them out of reach of Amethyst’s whip.

“Why does she look like Frybo?” Peedee asked, but there was no time for an answer, for Mr. Fryman came running from the shop yelling “I’ll save you Frybo!” brandishing a broomstick.

“No stop! It’ll mash your potatoes!” Steven yelled, but Mr. Fryman ran into the fray and swung at the monster abusing his shop mascot. The broomstick broke against the monster’s body of physical light like an icicle, and the monster brushed Mr. Fryman aside with a flick of its wings, sending Mr. Fryman tumbling across the boardwalk.

“Daaaaadddd!” Peedee cried and ran to his father. Peedee was fearing the worst and tearing up, when Mr. Fryman cracked his eyes a little to look at his youngest son. “Peedee... I want you to know... that you’re a valued member... of Fryman Brothers Incoporated and all... its affiliates...” Peedee held his father tighter.

Steven had been watching Amethyst and he realised that she was losing the fight. Her unfamiliar form made her clumsy and she kept dropping her whip because of Frybo’s disproportionately short arms. But the monster’s constant offense didn’t give Amethyst enough breathing room to shapeshift back to herself. The moth attacked like a precision instrument, swooping in behind Amethyst to hit her with its wings and then flying out of reach right before the Frybo-shaped gem managed to turn around and land an attack of her own.

Steven tried to summon his shield, but his gem was not coöperating. They needed backup. Then he noticed something, a fry-like tendril peeking from behind the corner of the fry-shop. Steven got an idea, and he ran behind the shop.

“Wait Steven, what are you doing?” Peedee called before he vanished behind the corner.

Steven stopped and turned to answer, striking a heroic pose. “My job!” Then he disappeared behind the counter.

All the while Amethyst was taking a pummeling. She just couldn’t get a break, and was starting to wear down, both from the attacks and the extended time of shapeshifting. She felt her form aching and yearning to retreat into her gem.

Right as she was about to cave, the monster stopped attacking. Because something had hit it in the side of the head. Something greasy. A frybit. The moth screamed in disgust as it turned to look to see who was responsible, and saw its enemy standing by the fry shop.

“Hey!” The real Frybo called with Steven’s voice, made a rude noise, and ran behind the fry shop.

The monster screeched and chased the fry-mascot.

Frybo was standing in the middle of the alley behind the shop and the monster lunged straight into him, beginning to tear him to shreds. Steven watched behind the dumpster as the monster destroyed the mascot costume, hoping it was enough to give Amethyst the time she needed.

And it was. Amethyst shapeshifted back to her own form as soon as the monster flew away, and followed, although gingerly, feeling sore from shapeshifting too long and the attacks she had withstood, but her form much more comfortable. When she rounded the corner, she needed only a few deft cracks of her whip – now that her arms and hands were back to normal fighting condition – to destabilise the monster’s form. The monster retreated to its round white gem and Amethyst picked it up, bubbled it, and sent it away by tapping the top.

Peedee peeked to the alley from behind the corner. “Is it over? The evil is defeated?”

“Yep!” Steven answered cheerily. “Amethyst poofed the mons-“

Peedee didn’t wait for Steven’s explanation, for he ran to the tattered remains of Frybo and kicked them. “You’re awful! I hate you! I’ve always hated you!”

“Wait, you’ve always hated Frybo?” Mr. Fryman asked incredulously. He had followed Peedee to the back alley and witnessed his violent outburst. Peedee turned to look at his father, embarrassed, not knowing what to say. Mr. Fryman didn’t know what to say either, but in that moment he knew that in the future he needed to listen what his son really wanted to do.

\- - -

“...and I heard you guys talking about needing the fry-dude to work without him in it and I wanted to help the humans, so I shapeshifted into it, but then a monster appeared and I didn’t have a chance to shapeshift back until you lured it away,” Amethyst finished explaining to Steven what had happened, over a dinner of fries back at the beach house.

“Maybe it is best that the Crystal Gems focus on fighting monsters, and the Frymans handle the selling of fries,” Steven mused and popped a fry in his mouth. Amethyst agreed and helped herself to a fistful of fries. “Though you did help Peedee tell his dad how he really feels,” he added and thought about his friend. Steven hoped that things would be better in the Fryman-family now that Peedee’s feelings were out in the open.

As he was speaking Steven chanced to glance out of the window and he saw Peedee and Mr. Fryman coming down the beach, dragging something behind them. He ran down to greet them, followed by a curious Amethyst.

When he reached them, he discovered that they were dragging a makeshift raft, upon which was piled the remains of Frybo. Their mood was sombre, and for once Steven understood and matched his energy to that of the funerary procession. Mr. Fryman pushed the raft to the water’s edge. 

“You were great, Frybo,” Mr. Fryman eulogised. “The kids today just didn’t understand. Now, they never will,” he said, choking back tears.

“And the world will be a better place for it,” Peedee muttered, but Steven shushed him.

“It’s time... to send him off,” Mr. Fryman said. He took out a grill lighter from his apron pocket and set Frybo on fire. Peedee used a stick to push it out to sea. Mr. Fryman sighed. “As greasy in death... as he was in life.”

Peedee stepped up to him and interrupted. “Dad? Uhm... I'll... Are you going to get another costume?” Neither of them wanted to look the other in the eyes.

“I don’t need another Frybo,” Mr. Fryman answered gruffly, averting his eyes. “I’ve got...the Fryman.” He put his arm around Peedee’s shoulder and pulled him close. Peedee’s heart swelled.


End file.
